Abbas Haddad was an Iraqi refugee settles aged 8 in Solihull in 2005. Bullied at school the academically talented Abbas through himself into the sciences however on getting to university he found his interests drew him to fringe sciences in particularly Cryptozoology. Unfortunately this led to him being ostracised in academia which brought back memories of his boyhood bullying. Something snapped.

Determined to prove his cryptozoological theories correct as the Cryptozoologist equipped with a flask of weak lemon squash and public endangering plans will use SCIENCE! To show those establishment fools know nothing.

With Boss Banana recharging after watching too much local election coverage, Boreas doing his community service & Bugbear doing science stuff Danger Dan finds himself taking at call in the Triad.

He is invited to provide celebrity endorsement and colour for a self help book by its author April Caerphilly.

They agree to meet at Chester zoo. At the zoo they agree terms but their discussion is interrupted by terrified zoo goers fleeing the rabid Barbara Minerva – Cheetah !

Danger Dan to the rescue !

Dan hurls himself into the fray and after some nasty wounds manages to get Minerva in a headlock with his wrestling moves. Fortunately police and zoo keepers help him cuff and cage the berserk were beast.

As the cage door shuts on Cheetah a jet takes off from the zoo from the Capybara enclosure – the Wonder Woman villain has no memory how she ended up at Chester zoo – but was a diversion.

Dan contacts Ann Field back at the Triad. She flies the Triadcopter to get him and tracks the jet to Lake Bala.

I’m hot pursuit Dan flies down to be confronted by a man in an anorak, woolly hat and man bag controlling a herd of Capybara with robotic helmets via a remote.

He announces himself as the Cryptozoologist and has captured the Capybara to lure the beast of lake Bala (Llyn Tegid) ‘Teggie.’ (He believed Capybara are related to its prehistoric prey.)

Dan wrestles him – knocking him out and getting the control and the herd back in the jet. Just as Teggie rears from the lake. The Cryptozoologist awakens and photos the creature – Dan let’s the rodents escape via a cockpit window and then takes on the lake beast.

His attempt to fit an animal control helmet to the monster fails but he then grabs and wrestled its tongue. Dragging half choking it towards the lake and then using his light manipulation to divert and distract it back into the lake.

Forcing the Cryptozoologist to fly the animals back to the zoo and then them both to the Triad. At the Triad Dan tried to persuade the mad scientist to reform and join the League as a hero but the ‘ologist is still committed to crazy schemes to unlock the creatures hidden from science – whatever the cost.

With regret Dan hands him over to the police – though the Cryptozoologist promises to be back.

Our heroes awake – their triad headquarters is trashed – Liverpool is smoking hole, the city is covered in undergrowth and corpses.

Exploring they find no car is older than 1985 and looking in an abandoned Safeway’s find a newspaper from 1985 ‘ PRESIDENT WAYNE THREATENS SOVIETS’

They determine they are in an alternate timeline and have been saved by destruction (for now) by Danger Dan’s time field.

Heading to Bootle library they find out the following

John Wayne became President

Ronald Reagan rather than John Wayne died of cancer in 1979

Ronald Reagan rather than Wayne starred in the Conqueror. A 1956 genghis Khan biopic filmed by nuclear test grounds which many cast and crew died of cancer.

Both actors when represented by famous Hollywood agent Kevin Ang (or K.Ang)

Bootle library’s very good on 1950s Hollywood

Jumping in a Delorean (Wayne saves the company) they use Danger Dan’s time Power and jump to… 1919 Mexico ! After an altercation with rebels they jump again. But Bugbear disappears the new timeline is penetrating Dan’s time bubble.

This time in 1952 Hollywood. They find Kevin Ang’s mansion and failing to con their way in assault the place battling past laser beam firing Greek god statues. Boreas makes an ice prism that reflects their death rays exploding them.

Boss Banana ‘kook-aids’ the mansion wall and they burst in – shot at by a butler with a starro on its face. After a brief fight Dan wrestles him and removes the mind control parasite.

The victim is Alfred Pennyworth from 1985 – no doubt one of Kang’s trophies. As they debate the master of the house comes in dropping his 50s disguise they find themselves battling Kang.

The Liverpool Legends throw everything they can but find the Time Master’s forcefield too tough. Eventually with Dan and Boreas retreating with Alfred, Boss Banana brings the house down – Samson like on him and the tyrant both. As they claw out the rubble the council robot manages to slap the starro on Kang and while he’s stunned bind him in 50s plumbing.

Bugbear returns – the timeline is restored and they return to 2020. The UNIT helicopter that collects Stang (the starro Kang cross) causing further noise complaints from Bootle residents.

Like this:

Enjoyed my third year at Devacon. Their was a delay starting due to a tech error with the ticket list but I signed up to a Firefly Game ran by Cath Finnigan.

Firefly

Down on our luck, our freighter crew needed a big score to make ends meet. Fortunately (?) an opportunity to steal classified info from an Alliance rest & recuperation facility/casino during the Unification Day Ball.

I played the smooth talking mechanic / hacker and disguised as a maintenance man (and later catering staff) was ‘on point’ for much of the scenario.

Next up was me GMing Mercenaries, Spies & Private Eyes in the Very British Civil War 1938 background. This was a sequel to last years the ‘Liverbird has landed.’ The rescued George Formby’s intelligence revealed the Royalists were looking to invade the Isle of Man to cut off supplies to rebel forces.

There where a lot of widgets to manage in this game (and I lost a pre gen somewhere ) but it worked well with

Intense air to air battles

Dealing with the Manx

Pilot rivalries (fun watching them count their kills)

Bombing raids

Protecting a convoy as their supplies where desperately low

– while four heroes died (and one ditched and flew again the Isle of Man and freedom was saved. Fairweather & Samson in particular remembered for taking on 18 fighters so Porco Rosso could take out torpedo bombers attacking the convoy.)

Flashing Blades – Grand Marksmenship Tourney / Scavenger Hunt

Finally Flashing Blades & a chance to roleplaying with Carl off Twitter. This was the same combination of scenarios I ran at virtual grogmeet.

It went pretty well – with some different solutions & some roguish behaviour I think the session being the end of a long day had an effect on concentration a little. The tourney went quite well and Scavenger Hunt took quite a vicious turn with arson & dueling halberds. Again a testament to the lateness of the hour I guess.

My timings where off so if I do that combo again I might have a third encounter/scenario built in.

Conclusion

I had a excellent day and it was good to see so many online or former DevaCon friends. The gaming was good and there is tweaks I can make to my own games to improve. Always learning.

The Williamson phone – sounds a blue figure is trying to destroy the Queen Elizabeth courts and must be stopped. (Boss Banana is out of town)

Danger Dan tries to glide jut gets stuck on the top of the strand shopping centre. The noise of the Triadcopter rescuing him fro its roof provides plenty of ammunition for community group Bootle Residents Againist Noisy Super Heroes (BRANSH)

Zipping too the town centre which is covered by storm clouds they see the curious creature on the Victoria monument bringing lightening onto the Courts.

The diety (for it is Doc Orlanth) brings down the triadcopter with a lightening bolt and it crashes in chevasse park. Danger Dan having already glided to the roof of Graham house launches himself at the gloranthan god striking him down with a drop kick!

Boreas fails to call his canine companions and Bugbear whacks the pompous psychopomp with her staff.

The battle rages with gloranthan fighting wanting to get to the courts to punish Mr Goose who mind controlled him & who’s trial had been moved from potion town.

The rampaging storm being has caused fire in a nearby cafe but Danger Dan uses his time powers to kill the blaze and rescue civilians.

As conflict continues with Bugbears faerie armour sucking up the magical damage, Boreas dashed into the court knocking out Mr Goose and ‘borrowing’ his power restrainers. Exciting the court he threw them to danger Dan who using his wrestling moves got them on the Doc. Reduced to his mild mannered runequest doctor form as he’s ‘ cut off from the gods plane’ he falls unconscious.

Of course Boreas contempt of court cannot be allowed to stand and he appears at Bootle police station. With the mitigating circumstances he is allowed to plea down and the god of the north wind must at as a security guard at the law courts every Thursday for a year. Complete with itchy nato jumper and peaked cap.

Power Princess & Techno are relaxing in the Dolphin Palace, their secret headquarters when they take a call that Doc Orlanth is destroying all the ships in Potion Town harbour.

Doc Orlanth got his bum kicked by the heroes mainly through Power Girls water powers and Techno’s fighting ability this afternoon – Potion Town is safe !

However Techno’s battle suits psionic detection confirmed Doc Orlanth was under mental control and he locates the source to Portion Tower.

Racing there Power Girl uses water powers to hurl techno into the villan’s suite by riding a fountain spout. The mind controller is none other than the sinister Mr Goose.

While Techno battles Power Princess acquires bread and races to join him. Getting there she throws the bread down distracting the goose (the kids might like Professor Elemental’s Squrlrather a lot) capturing the villain.

Joined by their trusty manservant Bof/Crosh (who may or may not be the same person or his evil twin played by @comicbookevangelist )

Prelude the finale of La Rochelle

To warn players up we played the final stages of crushing hideous hugenouts & their perfidious English supporters at La Rochelle. Rolling on the random table Theseus had incurred powder burns and Cassius had a chance to fight a Protestant cavalier to capture a rebel standard.

Unfortunately he was rubbish based on the head & stumbled off stunned. Caesar took up the mantle wounding the revolting Protestant for a mighty blow in the left arm but stumbled off stunned in the chest. (With wiley Cassius picking up the fallen standard.)

The heavily armoured halberd wielding Guardsmen turn up and Achilles like his namesake smited the standard bearer – appropriately supervised by his Sergeant Theseus.

Lootwise Cassius acquires a wheelock pistol and Caesar got the armour off the same fallen general. Theseus acquired a draft horse but Achilles managed to secure a kings ransom in English gold. Bof/ Crosh knee his place.

The Grand Marksmenship Tourney

All but Cassius and the lackeys enter the Marksmenship tourney which celebrates the Royal victory after the parade, awards and Te Deum service which mark the rest of Grand Defile.

Theseus has a drink before hand with his chum and agent of the Cardinal the Baron D’lle de Batz who worried for the cardinal being in such an exposed position.

In the course of the parade some PCs notice a flash Spanish coach with Sergeant Lultzhausen one of the favourites for the tourney leaving carrying a purse.

At the ceremony in Tuilires Sergeant Theseus is decorated but fails to be allowed to kiss the kings hand (or attract flirtation from the Queen.)

The Te Deum allows the characters who are of insufficient rank to attend the service to place betters via their loyal manservant(s?)

Preparing for the tourney Cupid’s victims Achilles & Caesar see a competitors mask fall from their face to reveal an attractive madamoiseille De Roiseries the daughter of General Rolland confounding rules & society to shot herself the equal of any man. Both Guard & Musketeer pledge to keep her secret safe.

The first round of the completion privies devilishly hard only General Roland, the Swiss Guard Alban de Bergen & the nice but dim chinless birder the Viscount De Praz de Lys going through the second round.

Bof & Cassisus auspicious of the much vaunted Sergeant Lultzhausen crashing out early rail him and find him taking his arquebus through to a townhouse with excellent sighting on the royal box! No time to fight through the crowds to get guards they have to act!

Meanwhile the fallen competitors spot an attempt to damage Alban de Bergen’s musket (no doubt by a syndicate who betted on him losing.) They gave chase Theseus managing to fumble a tackle and end head first failing in a water but while Achilles managed to trip the scoundrel and get him arrested.

Over at the Rue St Honore Cassius climbs up the building and tries to shoot the assassin as he loads through a window with his new wheelock pistol. He misses and the German opens the window to skewer him with his sabre. A wild duel occurs with the musketeer clinging to the wattle and dawb houses frame while fencing trying to pull the Sergeant into a plummet.

Bof tried to help by grabbing Lultzhausen’s partially loaded arquebus, trusting and pulling the trigger. However he misses his intended target of the rectum – jams barrel up the gap between the marksmen’s backplate and doublet with the ramrod firing out the top but the powder starting a fire.

This is a surprise to Cassius when using his acrobatics he swings so he straddles the Germans shoulders. Unfortunately toasting his codpiece on the oven of the backplate. With an almighty push Bof swings the villains legs up and Cassius lands clear. The scoundrel is take into custody.

Alban and the Viscount go into a drawn out final round that Alban wins splitting his purse with the gallant soldiers who protected his musket. Cassius and Bof are sword to secrecy by the Cardinal the intended victim of the Spanish plot but he is in their debt.

Scavenger Hunt

Following on from the Great Marksmenship Tourney both Achilles & Caesar are courting the beautiful madamoiseille De Roiseries. Arriving on her birthday they find from her maid, the straight talking Fanny they find the only acceptable gifts are a dozen white Lilly’s, plumb wine & cherry bons Bon’s – the race is on!

The Guards

Head for the confectionary passing public brandings, Theseus getting into a duel with a Sublatern of the Gascony regiment (bloody Gascony) and bumping into a pipe smoker and spilling his tobacco.

Tracking down the sole supplier of bons bobs they find the last case has been bought by the Duchess de Nozze. While Crosh fails to steel the sweets Achilles tells his tale. It softens the Duchesses heart and other parts and he suggests the chocolates in return for a spot of sport with our Guardsman. While Acillies makes sacrifices the Duke returns and he has to hide under the bed while the Duchess welcomes the conquering hero – eventually leaving disguising as a maid with the chocolates trying to avoid the dukes amorous eye.

Rushing to the Fox & Vine for plum wine they lose Theseus who manages to step on the Gascon’a foot again – twice in a row. Leaving him to two more duels to the blood they get to the pub and find the owner passed out & plumb wine the only labelled bottle in the cellar – but the suspicious Achilles tests it and so determines it was a rouse. They sample bottles to find the right stuff and eventually though Achilles is finding life hilarious and Crosh is zilched they find it. The musketeer loads his man servant into a wheel barrow and trundles off thinking Lilly’s don’t see that important.

The Musketeers

Cassius and Caesar head off for the wine first, bumping into a man enjoying his tobacco pipe and spilling it – and Cassius alchemical studies enable him to spot the plum wine first time. The clever Caesar forged a label as a trap for any other paramours (see above.( They then get to the flower market find all lilies bought by a mobile flower seller. They track him down and secure the last supply though on route a bag on coal falls of a cart caking them in coal dust.

Finding the Bon bon route all dissipated them turn – again knocking the pipe of the (same unlucky) pipe smoker who’s found every smoke ruined by romantic idiots rushing around and announces he’s quitting the habit.

Epilogue

Between the sozzled Guard with his bon bons & wine & coal dust caked musketeer with his Lillies and wine the Mademoiselle regretfully informs both paramours she has found a real man to supply her needs. Stepping out from the shadows with a enormous bunch of lillies, box of cherry bons bons & magnum of plum wine is none other than the Cardinal’s own scoundrel Baron D’lle-de-Batz.

Wrap Up

I bloody love flashing blades me & it’s of the FGU site,drivethrurpg and many others in print. It’s a compact 56 page system with a scissor paper stone mechanic for dueling. It can be unforgiving – think the Richard lester musketeer films rather than Errol Flynn.

I was very lucky to share this game with a great bunch of players, it was a great laugh – hopefully we’re it was their first experience of flashing blades they are tempted to pick up a copy (and so should you.)